dinner fixing our plates, with the fear of lack in the background, mom would “pack” our plates with what I know now to be more food than our tiny little bellies could handle, not intentionally, but out of fear. Then we were advised that we could not get up from the table until our “plates” were clear! Period…..At this point, the belief was developed that if my plate was not completely “full”, it just wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me, or anything other than full would give the illusion of “not enough”. Reprogramming this type of psyche required work and commitment, but was more than worth it.
So why was the sword, double-edged? Because on one end was the need to confront and conquer my fear-based childhood belief(s) and on the other end were my adult fears birthed out of my own experiences, for which I used food as the ultimate pacifier. It wasn’t until I became consciously aware of my actions, made the decision to confront the root causes that were sometimes buried so deeply within my psyche, and developed new positive beliefs that supported a healthy relationship with food, that I began to see changes in every aspect of my life. How did I do it? I had to reintroduce myself to “self”. That means taking time to be alone with “self”, to sit with “self” and confront the good, the bad and the ugly. Until you confront YOU, change is not possible! In confronting me, I learned about my triggers, I was able to identify self-sabotaging thoughts, I was able to really connect with what I believed about me and through this process, I was restored to my “first” love….SELF LOVE. Self-love as I define it is taking good care of your mind, body and spirit in the most nurturing and beneficial ways. Self-love is not about being selfish as some would think, in fact, it is a self-less act to those who understand that unless they are well and at their best, they can’t possibly be effective when dealing with others. Think for a moment about the last time you were stressed. How did you handle it? Did you meditate, did you go dancing, did you seek support from family/friends, or did you seek the comfort of food? When there is lack in our primary food areas (relationship, spirituality, physical activity, career) it is sure to show up in our lives and for most, it’s on the plate and the evidence of that is when folks are diagnosed as obese, with chronic illnesses, depression, type 2 diabetes, etc. Let’s start TODAY, confronting ourselves so that we can heal ourselves and CHANGE OUR PLATES! And you thought health coaching was only about recipes and meal plans! Let me close out with providing you some affirmation ideas for a healthy self image. It’s as easy as A-B-C: acknowledging where you are, believing that you can change and creating the new you, one day at a time!